JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. board of directors has approved a strategic plan to access China’s capital markets through its principal operating subsidiary.
JinkoSolar is considering the opportunity to list Jiangxi Jinko, after certain intragroup restructuring, on the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s Sci-Tech innovation board (the “STAR Market”), an exchange intended to support innovative companies in China, within the next three years.
To qualify Jiangxi Jinko for a STAR Market listing and to raise additional capital to support its continuous expansion. The board has approved an equity financing of Jiangxi Jinko, under which certain China-based reputable third-party investors, JinkoSolar’s founders, Xiande Li, Kangping Chen and Xianhua Li, and senior management personnel have agreed to invest an aggregate of RMB 3.1 billion into Jiangxi Jinko for an aggregate of 26.7% equity interest in Jiangxi Jinko. The transaction has been negotiated at arm’s length at a pre-money valuation of Jiangxi Jinko’s equity value of RMB 8.5 billion, which is 15.6% higher than JinkoSolar’s market capitalization on September 18, 2020, and 45.4% higher than JinkoSolar’s average market capitalization for the 90 days preceding September 18, 2020. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and expected to complete by the end of October 2020.
Kangping Chen, Chief Executive Officer, JinkoSolar, said: “Listing Jiangxi Jinko on the STAR Market will enable it to access a new source of growth capital, which we believe will ultimately strengthen our leading position in the solar module industry and support our continuous growth over the long run. We believe the listings of JinkoSolar on the New York Stock Exchange and Jiangxi Jinko on the STAR Market will raise our profile with investors both in China and globally and provide us with additional opportunities to grow in the future.”
